§ 71. Mr. MONTAGUEasked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the effect of spark signals sent out constantly by the Lloyds Wireless Station at Niton, Isle of Wight, which makes the wireless receiving sets for which licence fees have been paid in Sandown, Shanklin, Blackgang, and district practically valueless; and whether he will make representations to the company concerned as to the advisability of substituting continuous wave messages for spark signals to ships entering the Channel, etc.?
§ Viscount WOLMERThe wireless station at Niton, Isle of Wight, is a Post Office station used for communication with ships and in the interests of safety of life at sea. Although some interference with the reception of the Bournemouth broadcast programmes is unavoidable in the immediate vicinity of the Niton station, there should be no serious interference at Sandown, Shanklin and the district when reasonably selective receiving apparatus is used. The Daventry programmes can be received without difficulty even 200 yards only from the Niton aerial. An International Radiotelegraph Conference is to be held at Washington in the autumn of this year at which the question of spark transmission from ships will be considered. In the meantime it is not practicable to take any steps to restrict the use of spark apparatus on ships.